Part B Question

You are the new HR Manager recently appointed by Warbings Office Systems plc and, as outlined in the case, you and your assistant were initially given six months to “phase in any procedures that you felt appropriate”.

The CEO clearly expects you to introduce procedures that will reduce sickness absence and employee turnover and increase the commitment and motivation of the workforce. However, it is clear to you that this cannot be done by simply developing new procedures, and that you will only be able to address his concerns by demonstrating to the employees that their complaints have been heard and that Warbings regards them as more than just “a means to a profitable end”.

Looking through the list of emails that employees have sent you asking for changes in the way the company operates, you noticed that most of the concerns relate to three issues: heavy-handed line management, lack of training, and different ways of setting and communicating targets.

From your years of experience, you know that all of these problems are linked and could be addressed by a formal system of performance appraisal and training for all employees, but especially for those with line management responsibility. You also understand that addressing the employees’ concerns will help to achieve the CEO’s priorities of reducing sickness absence and employee turnover, and increasing the commitment and motivation of the workforce.

Drawing on your learning from this module, write an explanation for the CEO of how and why introducing performance appraisal and appropriate training for all levels of staff can address the employees’ complaints of heavy-handed line management, lack of training and requests for different ways of setting and communicating targets, and also support the CEO’s priorities of reducing sickness absence and employee turnover and improving employee